A fresh dose of rotation for Bayern's hangover game against Köln

After bowing out of the Champions League in the most frustrating of fashions, Bayern return to Bundesliga action. Jupp Heynckes should take the emotional and physical exhaustion of the semifinal into account for this game’s lineup.
I will neglect to comment further on Tuesday’s game. It’s not good for your health, or for mine. So, let’s get on with it.

Keep the youngsters in

Of the four youth players that started in last week’s game, two made a proper impression. Lukas Mai showed a maturity beyond his age, even if he did let go of the marking for Frankfurt’s lone goal. He appears to be unfazed by the ball or by the movements. Such mental solidity is paramount when playing for Bayern. Jupp Heynckes should reward the lad with a third consecutive start. Alongside him, Niklas Süle could come in to give Mats Hummels a rest. Süle stood as one of the positives of the Real Madrid tie. He kept Cristiano Ronaldo quiet throughout both games, limiting him to one shot on target.
In the flanks, Rafinha and David Alaba complete the defence. Alaba returned against Madrid and did a decent job. He can start again. Rafinha sat out the game in the Bernabéu and comes in to give Joshua Kimmich a break.

Doppelsechs and overwhelming attack

For most of the season, the lineups have included one of Javi Martínez or Sebastian Rudy. For this game, I see no reason why both shouldn’t start. It can seem conservative, but it is a nice experiment. Neither made a significant appearance in the return leg, and their minds could be sufficiently distanced from the distress.
Further up the field, I’d like to see Franck Evina. He was the second youth player to give a proper impression. He was propositive, daring and quick on his feet. I would say he has earned his place in the starting lineup for the second time in a row.
Corentin Tolisso and James Rodríguez complete the attacking midfield. The Colombian offered a stellar display against his parent club. Tolisso had a difficult second half but still injected the team with an extra gear, even if Robert Lewandowski failed to capitalise on it. Spearheading the attack is Sandro Wagner, who should have been given a better chance to make an impact at the Bernabéu, comes in for the lacklustre Robert Lewandowski.

Senior Editor from Bogotá, Colombia. He writes a weekly humour column for the blog, and Michel can’t seem to get rid of him. A journalism student by day, Juan Pablo wishes his tactical analysis pieces will one day be taken seriously.

Bayern ended the season with yet another self-inflicted defeat in a defining game. Eintracht Frankfurt gave the Bavarians a lesson in self-respect and won the DFB-Pokal with a fantastic fighting spirit.